Apocalypse of Elijah
Encyclopedia
The Apocalypse of Elijah is an anonymous
apocrypha
l work presenting itself as a revelation given by an angel
. Two versions are known today, a Coptic
Christian fragmentary version and a Hebrew Jewish version. The title derives from mentions of Elijah within the text, although there is no other reason to assume that he is meant to be the author.
, the List of Sixty Books, the Synopsis of Pseudo-Athanasius, the Stichometry of Nicephorus
, and the Armenian list of Mechithar. Origen
, Ambrosiaster
, and Euthalius
ascribe I Cor. 2:9 to it:
If they are right, the apocalypse is pre-Pauline. The peculiar form in which this quotation appears appears in Clement of Alexandria
, Protrepticus x. 94, and the Apostolic Constitutions
vii. 32, shows that both have the same source, probably this apocalypse
.
Epiphanius
ascribes to this work Eph. 5:14:
The Jewish version of the Apocalypse of Elijah was published by Adolf Jellinek
and Moses Buttenwieser in 1897. Theodor Zahn
assigns this apocalypse to the 2nd century A.D. but other scholars reject such an early date.
The two extant versions are thought to be derived from the same original, which would be the one quoted by Paul. The Coptic version has been Christianized
and the Hebrew version abridged.
of five originally separate works:
Anonymous work
Anonymous works are works, such as art or literature, that have an anonymous, undisclosed, or unknown creator or author. In the United States it is legally defined as "a work on the copies or phonorecords of which no natural person is identified as author."...
apocrypha
Apocrypha
The term apocrypha is used with various meanings, including "hidden", "esoteric", "spurious", "of questionable authenticity", ancient Chinese "revealed texts and objects" and "Christian texts that are not canonical"....
l work presenting itself as a revelation given by an angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
. Two versions are known today, a Coptic
Copt
The Copts are the native Egyptian Christians , a major ethnoreligious group in Egypt....
Christian fragmentary version and a Hebrew Jewish version. The title derives from mentions of Elijah within the text, although there is no other reason to assume that he is meant to be the author.
Dating and provenance
This apocalypse is mentioned in the Apostolic ConstitutionsApostolic Constitutions
The Apostolic Constitutions is a Christian collection of eight treatises which belongs to genre of the Church Orders. The work can be dated from 375 to 380 AD. The provenience is usually regarded as Syria, probably Antioch...
, the List of Sixty Books, the Synopsis of Pseudo-Athanasius, the Stichometry of Nicephorus
Stichometry of Nicephorus
The Stichometry of Nicephorus is a stichometry by Patriarch Nicephorus I of Constantinople. It is significant in that it counts the number of lines of various Christian texts, many of which were later suppressed by the church and lost...
, and the Armenian list of Mechithar. Origen
Origen
Origen , or Origen Adamantius, 184/5–253/4, was an early Christian Alexandrian scholar and theologian, and one of the most distinguished writers of the early Church. As early as the fourth century, his orthodoxy was suspect, in part because he believed in the pre-existence of souls...
, Ambrosiaster
Ambrosiaster
Ambrosiaster is the name given to the writer of a commentary on St Paul's epistles, "brief in words but weighty in matter," and valuable for the criticism of the Latin text of the New Testament...
, and Euthalius
Euthalius
Euthalius was a deacon of Alexandria and later Bishop of Sulca. He lived towards the middle of the fifth century and is chiefly known through his work on the New Testament in particular as the author of the "Euthalian Sections"....
ascribe I Cor. 2:9 to it:
Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
If they are right, the apocalypse is pre-Pauline. The peculiar form in which this quotation appears appears in Clement of Alexandria
Clement of Alexandria
Titus Flavius Clemens , known as Clement of Alexandria , was a Christian theologian and the head of the noted Catechetical School of Alexandria. Clement is best remembered as the teacher of Origen...
, Protrepticus x. 94, and the Apostolic Constitutions
Apostolic Constitutions
The Apostolic Constitutions is a Christian collection of eight treatises which belongs to genre of the Church Orders. The work can be dated from 375 to 380 AD. The provenience is usually regarded as Syria, probably Antioch...
vii. 32, shows that both have the same source, probably this apocalypse
Apocalypse
An Apocalypse is a disclosure of something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted. The Apocalypse of John is the Book of Revelation, the last book of the New Testament...
.
Epiphanius
Epiphanius of Salamis
Epiphanius of Salamis was bishop of Salamis at the end of the 4th century. He is considered a saint and a Church Father by both the Eastern Orthodox and Catholic Churches. He gained a reputation as a strong defender of orthodoxy...
ascribes to this work Eph. 5:14:
Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give thee light.
The Jewish version of the Apocalypse of Elijah was published by Adolf Jellinek
Adolf Jellinek
----Adolf Jellinek |Drslavice]], nearby Uherské Hradiště, Moravia - December 28, 1893, Vienna) was an Austrian rabbi and scholar...
and Moses Buttenwieser in 1897. Theodor Zahn
Theodor Zahn
Theodor Zahn or Theodor von Zahn was a biblical scholar born in Rhineland, Prussia . He was professor of Theology at Erlangen, and distinguished for his eminent scholarship in connection with the matter especially of the New Testament canon. He stood at the head of the conservative New Testament...
assigns this apocalypse to the 2nd century A.D. but other scholars reject such an early date.
The two extant versions are thought to be derived from the same original, which would be the one quoted by Paul. The Coptic version has been Christianized
Christianization
The historical phenomenon of Christianization is the conversion of individuals to Christianity or the conversion of entire peoples at once...
and the Hebrew version abridged.
Text
The Christian version is essentially a redactionRedaction
Redaction is a form of editing in which multiple source texts are combined and subjected to minor alteration to make them into a single work. Often this is a method of collecting a series of writings on a similar theme and creating a definitive and coherent work...
of five originally separate works:
- A treatise on fastingFastingFasting is primarily the act of willingly abstaining from some or all food, drink, or both, for a period of time. An absolute fast is normally defined as abstinence from all food and liquid for a defined period, usually a single day , or several days. Other fasts may be only partially restrictive,...
and prayerPrayerPrayer is a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a deity through deliberate practice. Prayer may be either individual or communal and take place in public or in private. It may involve the use of words or song. When language is used, prayer may take the form of... - A prophecy concerning the Assyrians, of events that had actually already happened by the time the text was written. The kings mentioned within the section have not been identified with certainty.
- An account of the future arrival of a son of lawlessnessAntinomianismAntinomianism is defined as holding that, under the gospel dispensation of grace, moral law is of no use or obligation because faith alone is necessary to salvation....
, later re-edited by a Christian to refer to the AntichristAntichristThe term or title antichrist, in Christian theology, refers to a leader who fulfills Biblical prophecies concerning an adversary of Christ, while resembling him in a deceptive manner...
. It describes the Antichrist/son-of-lawlessness in detail, including mentioning that his eyebrows will reach to his ears, he is skinny legged, young but bald bar a tuft of grey hair at the front, and that he has a bare spot on the front of his hands. - An account of martyrdoms of Elijah and EnochEnoch (ancestor of Noah)Enoch is a figure in the Generations of Adam. Enoch is described as Adam's greatx4 grandson , the son of Jared, the father of Methuselah, and the great-grandfather of Noah...
(based on the death of the two witnesses in RevelationRevelationIn religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing, through active or passive communication with a supernatural or a divine entity...
), the martyrdom of TabithaDorcasDorcas was a disciple who lived in Joppa, referenced in the Book of Acts of the Bible. Acts recounts that when she died, she was mourned by "all the widows ... crying and showing the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them."...
(from the Book of Acts), and sixty other men. - An account of the destruction of the son of lawlessness after the last judgement, later re-edited by a Christian to refer to the Antichrist.
External links
- Article at earlyjewishwritings.com
- Sefer Elijah
- Apocalypse of Elijah Versification
- Apocalypse of Elijah (Christian version)